UNC disappointed with PM's statement
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, December 08 2011: The United Naga Council (UNC) in a press release today expressed its strong disappointment over the statement of the Prime Minister of India in the public meeting at Imphal on the December 3 that the Central Government was committed to the territorial integrity of Manipur.

While the Indo-Naga dialogue is underway at the higher level and also concurrently a democratic process of tripartite talk of Government of India (GoI), Government of Manipur (GoM) and the UNC on the demand for an alternative arrangement for the Naga in Manipur, outside the GoM, pending settlement of the Indo-Naga issue, the above statement of the Head of State of the Union of India at this juncture has created confusion in the minds of the Naga public, the press release stated.

"We are not quite able to discern sincerity in the statement under question and are prompted to question whether the Indo-Naga issue has been subjected to the electoral politics of a mere state under the Union of India, even when the unique history and situation of the Nagas has been recognised by the GoI in the course of the 14 long years of the peace process and also when the Hon'ble Prime Minister had committed to an out of the box solution" it added.

In a meeting with the Union Home Minister at Tahamzam (Senapati) on November 2 and another meeting with the Prime Minister of India at Raj Bhavan, Imphal on December 3, both of them have expressed that the tripartite talk process should be continued.

These assurances have been made when the Nagas in Manipur have already gone into protest from the October 19 against subjecting the tripartite process to the convenience and interest of the Government of Manipur.

However, the statement of the Prime Minister has come as a dampener, the release stated.

It further added that the issue is about the sharp social divide in Manipur on communal lines on which the Prime Minister had expressed his concern in public.

It is about the rights of the Nagas and tribals over their land, about their dignity and honour and respect for their time honoured traditional institutions, cultural practices and way of life that were being taken away through legitimately established sanctions engineered by the communal Government of Manipur.

"Therefore, in protest against the lack of political will on the GoI to address the above issues, we are compelled to impose a ban on all construction works on the Jiribam-Tupul Trans Asian Railway line for a period of two months w.e.f.December 16" it mentioned while seeking cooperation of the private companies /public sector undertakings engaged in the project.

Instead of according priority to settlement of issues that are already registered and recognized, attempts are being made to tap and take away our natural resources.

The exploration for petroleum & oil being taken up by public sectors undertakings/private companies in Tamenglong District would also therefore be banned till further notice with effect from December 16, it added.

It also appealed to the public to extend their cooperation towards the observation of the 1 hour public curfew from 12 pm to 1 am on all day except Sundays to constantly register that the demand for alternative arrangement.

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